Cruise queen Carnival last year put to rest the dark memories of September 11 and its profit-crushing aftermath. Buoyed by rising ticket prices and fatter passenger spending, the Miami cruise line saw net income surge 55%. Net revenue yield, the amount of profit that Carnival receives from each passenger per day, rose 9.8%. Those advances were driven largely by a sharp increase in cash ponied up by passengers for food, drinks, entertainment, and other onboard frills. Outlays on tickets jumped 48%, to $7.4 billion, while nonticket revenue soared 50%, to $2.1 billion. An unusually harsh hurricane season, with a record four storms hitting Florida, put a damper on Atlantic and Caribbean cruises late in the year. But the company, anticipating a quick recovery, spent lavishly. Carnival launched eight cruise ships, including the Queen Mary 2, and ordered six more. With advance bookings for this year running ahead of 2004, Carnival is sailing smoothly for now.

Micky Arison, 55